By Chris Brown

Alberta Blue Cross says new scam promises health-care payments to seniors

Jan 20, 2023 | 11:34 AM

Alberta Blue Cross says a new scam is attempting to defraud seniors by promising health-care payments.

All Albertans aged 65 and older are eligible for the Coverage for Seniors program administered by Alberta Blue Cross on behalf of the Government of Alberta. As well, thousands of seniors also complement their government-sponsored coverage with supplementary plans from Alberta Blue Cross.

The organization’s vice-president of corporate relations, Brian Geislinger, says “Alberta Blue Cross will never contact seniors — or any of our members — asking for personal or financial information to provide a ‘payment’ to them, whether by text, email or phone.”

He adds anyone who gets a suspicious request and has concerns should contact Alberta Blue Cross customer services.

Fraud is the No. 1 crime against older Canadians, according to Alberta Blue Cross. The company says criminals often target seniors as they may have more money and can be more trusting. Online, email and text scams have become increasingly common and the most common types of scams include free items or vouchers, fake competitions, free money from the government, tax rebates and refunds, and pension and investment scams.

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Tips to help older Albertans protect themselves from fraud and scams include the following:

• Never give out money or personal information to someone over the phone, at the door or in an email unless you can confirm the identity of the person or organization you are speaking to.
• Don’t respond to emails that look suspicious, or open any links or attachments associated them. Emails can be made to look like they came from a person or organization you know.
• Don’t click on pop-up windows—you can safely close the window.
• Don’t sign agreements or contracts without giving yourself time to think it over—this includes limited-time offers.
• Request proof of identity or check references before hiring someone or agreeing to have them work on your home.

Individuals who think they’ve been scammed should always report it to local authorities. Not only can law enforcement help these individuals but reporting fraud can also stop someone else from being scammed.